The present invention relates to a filling element for filling machines for dispensing a liquid material into bottles, cans, or similar containers, including: a liquid flow valve that is disposed in liquid passage means of the filling element and has a valve body that cooperates with a valve seat of the filling element and can be moved back and forth between a position that closes the liquid flow valve off and a position that opens the liquid flow valve: and a discharge opening that is provided on an underside of the filling element and via which when the liquid flow valve is opened the liquid material flows to a respective container that is to be filled.
A number of embodiments of filling elements for filling machines for dispensing a liquid material into bottles, cans, or similar containers are known. In addition, filling elements are known that have a return gas tube that forms a gas channel and is surrounded by the discharge opening, with the return gas tube extending downwardly beyond the discharge opening of the filling element; the valve body as well as an umbrella-shaped deflector means are provided on the return gas tube, whereby to open and close the liquid flow valve, the return gas tube, together with the valve body and the deflector means, can be moved back and forth in the direction of the filling element axis (DE-OS 39 09 398). With this known filling element, not only in the closed position but also in the opened position of the liquid flow valve, the umbrella-shaped deflector means is disposed in a portion of the liquid passage means that is disposed downstream of the liquid flow valve when viewed in the direction of flow of the liquid material; this deflector means, in conjunction with a cross-section of this portion of the liquid passage means that widens conically in a direction toward the discharge opening, serves essentially to impart to the liquid filling material, when the liquid flow valve is opened, a radially outwardly directed flow component, so that after entering the container that is to be filled, the liquid material flows down along the inner surface of the wall of this container.
Unfortunately, a problem with the known filling elements of this type is that, among other things, filling material residue enters the gas channel and thereby obstructs the flow of return gas through this channel. This leads to a considerable reduction in the filling velocity, i.e. the speed at which the liquid material rises in the respective container, and hence to a considerable reduction of the efficiency of a filling machine (measured as number of containers filled per unit of time).
In addition, to ensure a prescribed filling height, the respective filling machine cannot be operated at maximum capacity if obstruction or clogging of the gas channels in the return gas tubes is anticipated.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a filling element that considerably improves the efficiency of a filling machine.